Amsterdam has always been known as the city of freedom, youth and multicultural population. The city itself is safe, clean and pleasant. The best way to explore it is to take a boat trip along the channels which are spanned by hundreds of charming bridges. Amsterdam is the city of bikes with more bikes than people and taking a bike tour through the old town is highly recommended. Although relatively small with fewer than 800.000 citizens the city offers a large number of cultural events going on in many theaters and concert halls and a wide choice of contemporary and experimental arts. The very centre and heart of Amsterdam is the Dam square or just The Dam where events take place on a regular basis, regardless of the weather. The city boasts over 40 museums, the most popular being The Van Gogh Museum and The Amsterdam Tulip Museum, the latter being dedicated to a flower which is the symbol of the Netherlands Tourists pay homage to Anne Frank by visiting the house where she was hiding and writing her diary during World War II. If you are not after diamonds, at least visit a diamond factory and see how gems are polished in a traditional way.